# nigh
## English
### Etymology

From Middle English neygh, nygh, nye, nyȝ, from Old English nēah, nēh, from Proto-West Germanic *nāhw, from Proto-Germanic *nēhw.
Cognate with Saterland Frisian nai (“near”), West Frisian nei (“near, close by”), Dutch na (“close, near”), Luxembourgish no (“nearby, near, close”), German nah (“close, near, nearby”). See also near.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /naɪ/
* Audio (US):(file)
* Audio (General Australian):(file)
* Rhymes: -aɪ

### Adjective

nigh (comparative nigher or more nigh or near, superlative nighest or most nigh or next)
* (archaic, poetic) Near, close by, almost, all but.
    The end is nigh!
** 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 14, page 311:For with ſuch puiſſance and impetuous maine / Thoſe Champions broke on them, that forſt the fly, / Like ſcattered Sheepe, whenas the Shepherds ſwaine / A Lyon and a Tigre doth eſpye, / With greedy pace forth ruſhing from the foreſt nye.
** a. 1831, Ludovico Ariosto, William Stewart Rose (translator), Orlando Furioso, 2006, Echo Library, page 185,
    He at his head took aim who stood most nigh;
** 1831, John Knox, The History of the Reformation of Religion in Scotland, page 421:By these and many histories more, it is most evident, that the more nigh salvation and deliverance approach, the more vehement is temptation and trouble.
** 1834, Davy Crockett, A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett, page 197:The enemy, somewhat imboldened, draws nigher to the fort.
** 1889, House of Commons of Canada, Debates: Official Report, volume 2, page 1408:You then went to St. Andrews, the nighest ocean port.
** 2020 May 20, John Crosse, “Soon to be gone... but never forgotten”, in Rail, page 63, photo caption:The end is nigh (or at least it was supposed to be), but the Pacers in northern England kept plugging away providing a service while awaiting the much-delayed arrival of their replacements.
** 2020, Keith Getty, Matt Boswell, Jordan Kauflin, Matt Merker, Matt Papa (lyrics and music), “Christ Our Hope in Life and Death”‎Getty Music Publishing (BMI) / Messenger Hymns (BMI) / Matthew Merker Music (BMI) / Jordan Kauflin Music (BMI) / Getty Music Hymns and Songs (ASCAP) / Love Your Enemies Publishing (ASCAP):Who sends the waves that bring us nigh / Unto the shore, the rock of Christ?
* Not remote in degree, kindred, circumstances, etc.; closely allied; intimate.
** 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ephesians 2:13:Ye […] are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

#### Usage notes

* Near was originally the comparative form of nigh; the superlative form was next. Nigh is used today mostly in archaic, poetic, or regional contexts.

#### Synonyms

* (near): close, near; see also Thesaurus:near

#### Derived terms

* nighen
* nigh-hand
* nigh on
* nighness

#### Related terms

* near
* neighbor
* next

#### Translations
### Verb

nigh (third-person singular simple present nighs, present participle nighing, simple past and past participle nighed)
* (transitive, intransitive) to draw nigh (to); to approach; to come near
** 1924, Thomas Hardy, He Resolves to Say No More:When the charnel-eyed Pale Horse has nighed

#### Quotations

* For quotations using this term, see Citations:nigh.

#### Alternative forms

* ny (obsolete)

#### Translations
### Adverb

nigh (not comparable)
* Almost, nearly.
** 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter XII, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:So, after a spell, he decided to make the best of it and shoved us into the front parlor. […] It looked like a tomb and smelt pretty nigh as musty and dead-and-gone.
** 2017 July 16, Brandon Nowalk, “Chickens and dragons come home to roost on Game Of Thrones (newbies)”, in The Onion AV Club‎:Hell of a surprise in the seventh season premiere of Game Of Thrones. Arya Stark, fresh off a nigh Cersei-level ambush of the Frey household, comes upon a small campfire surrounded by fresh-faced red cloaks.

#### Usage notes

* Nigh is sometimes used as a combining form.

#### Quotations

* For quotations using this term, see Citations:nigh.

#### Derived terms

* fornigh
* nighness
* nigh on
* nigh-well
* overnigh
* well-nigh

#### Translations
### Preposition

nigh
* near; close to
** 1661-5, Thomas Salusbury (translator), Galileo Galilei, Dialogue concerning the Two Chief World Systems, 1632
    When the Moon is horned […] is it not ever nigh the Sun?
** 1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:The cottage stood nigh the burn, in a little garden, with lilyoaks and grosart bushes lining the pathway.

#### Translations
### Anagrams

* Hing, hing, inHg

## Irish
### Etymology

From Middle Irish nigid (“he washes”)

### Pronunciation

* (Munster) /nʲɪɟ/
* (Connacht, Ulster) IPA: (imperative) /n̠ʲiː/, (analytic past indicative) /nʲiː/

### Verb

nigh (present analytic níonn, future analytic nífidh, verbal noun ní, past participle nite)
* (transitive, intransitive) wash

#### Conjugation

| | | singular | singular | singular | plural | plural | plural | relative | autonomous |
| | | first | second | third | first | second | third | relative | autonomous |
| indicative | present | ním | níonn tú; nír$^†$ | níonn sé, sí | nímid | níonn sibh | níonn siad; níd$^†$ | a níonn; a níos | nitear |
| indicative | past | nigh mé; níos | nigh tú; nís | nigh sé, sí | níomar; nigh muid | nigh sibh; níobhair | nigh siad; níodar | a nigh / ar nigh* | níodh |
| indicative | past habitual | nínn | niteá | níodh sé, sí | nimis; níodh muid | níodh sibh | nidís; níodh siad | a níodh / a níodh* | nití |
| future | future | nífidh mé; nífead | nífidh tú; nífir$^†$ | nífidh sé, sí | nífimid; nífidh muid | nífidh sibh | nífidh siad; nífid$^†$ | a nífidh; a nífeas | nífear |
| conditional | conditional | nífinn | nífeá | nífeadh sé, sí | nífimis; nífeadh muid | nífeadh sibh | nífidís; nífeadh siad | a nífeadh / a nífeadh* | nífí |
| subjunctive | present | go ní mé; go níod$^†$ | go ní tú; go nír$^†$ | go ní sé, sí | go nímid; go ní muid | go ní sibh | go ní siad; go níd$^†$ | — | go nitear |
| subjunctive | past | dá nínn | dá niteá | dá níodh sé, sí | dá nimis; dá níodh muid | dá níodh sibh | dá nidís; dá níodh siad | — | dá nití |
| imperative | imperative | ním | nigh | níodh sé, sí | nímis | nígí; nídh$^†$ | nídís | — | nitear |
| verbal noun | verbal noun | ní | ní | ní | ní | ní | ní | ní | ní |
| past participle | past participle | nite | nite | nite | nite | nite | nite | nite | nite |
* indirect relative † archaic or dialect form

#### Related terms

* níochán m (“(act of) washing; wash, laundry; clothes washed or to be washed”)
* na soithí a ní (“do the dishes”)

### Further reading

* Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “nigh”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
* Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “nigid”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

## Scottish Gaelic
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ɲiː/

### Etymology 1

From Middle Irish nigid (“he washes”). Compare English nixie (“water sprite”), Ancient Greek νίζω (nízō)).

#### Verb

nigh (past nigh, future nighidh, verbal noun nighe, past participle nighte)
* wash, cleanse, purify
* bathe

##### Inflection
### Etymology 2

* This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Back-formation from nighean, perhaps?”

#### Noun

nigh f (genitive singular nighe)
* daughter
* niece

### Further reading

* Edward Dwelly (1911) “nigh”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎, 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
* Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “nigid”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language